To be successful in an increasing number
of jobs, young adults need to have leadership and cross-cultural
skills. These skills can be developed and enhanced through international
exchange or study abroad. Plan now to gain international experience
in high school or college. This experience will give you an edge
applying for jobs in the future.
Broaden Your Horizons
From participating in an intensive French
language program in Switzerland to interning with an international
business in Singapore, from taking part in a school-to-school exchange
in Mexico to studying wildlife in Kenya, youth and adults with disabilities
can participate fully and equally in international exchange programs.
Start planning early, see the world and enhance your employability.
The Social Security Administration and Mobility International USA
want to ensure that young people with disabilities, parents and
the professionals who work with people with disabilities understand
the importance of international exchange and options for including
it as part of education and employment preparation.
Some people with disabilities are eligible for assistance under
the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program if they meet the
definition of disability and their income and resources are within
the allowed limits.
The Social Security Handbook states:
"A student of any age may be eligible
for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits while temporarily
outside the U.S. for the purpose of conducting studies that are
not available in the U.S., are sponsored by an educational institution
in the U.S., and are designed to enhance the student`s ability
to engage in gainful employment. Such a student must have been eligible
to receive an SSI benefit for the month preceding the first full
month outside the U.S."
Understand your benefits and options
To continue to receive SSI while studying abroad, ensure that:
- The international exchange course of study
is not available to you in the U.S.
- The study abroad program is sponsored by
a school in the U.S.
- Participation is critical to your educational
and vocational success
- You are eligible for SSI for the one month
immediately prior to leaving the U.S.
- You will earn academic credits towards your
high school or college degree while abroad
If you receive SSI payments and plan to study abroad for up to
one year, work with your transition or benefits specialist to arrange
to continue your SSI payments while you are abroad.
What young adults can gain from international experiences…
- Improved competitive stance in applying
to college and future jobs;
- Improved maturity by causing youth to take
responsibility for themselves on their first significant "away
from home" experience;
- Exposure to new ideas and cultures, helping
young people to understand underlying difference among people and
improving their tolerance of those differences;
- Education about the culture, history and
language(s) of another country;
- Experiences to help in making choices about
future career directions, including those in international education,
international relations and diplomacy; and
- A new excitement and optimism about the
world they live in.
The Council on Standards for International Educational
Travel/CSIET, Administering Youth Exchange.
Vocational Rehabilitation funding options
Vocational rehabilitation (VR) funding is available to some individuals
with disabilities. Students with disabilities who receive VR funding
for their education should consider studying abroad to be competitive
in their future careers.
Propose the Inclusion of Study Abroad in Your VR Plan
- Visit your campus study abroad or department head office to
find out about study abroad programs related to your major.
- Contact the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange
for other programs, accommodations abroad, and financial aid resources.
- Check with your international exchange advisor and health insurance
provider to find out about medical coverage abroad.
- Bring information on a study abroad program that is required
or supports your educational/vocational goal to your VR counselor`s
attention.
- Write down the program information in a letter to your VR counselor.
- Clearly state how the experience will enhance
your educational and vocational goals
- List all the study abroad program expenses
(students can request cost information from the study abroad office,
and consider any disability accommodation expenses)
- Include how much you are able to financially
contribute towards the expenses
Study abroad expenses that VR has funded:
- Tuition, books and supplies for a student
with a visual impairment to study for a semester in the Czech Republic
and Greece
- Personal Care Attendant (PCA) wages when
a PCA was needed for a student who uses a wheelchair to spend a
summer session studying in Scotland
- Tuition and room/board for a student who
is Deaf to study Spanish for one semester in Costa Rica, and for
one month of summer school in Mexico
- The program fee for a student who is blind
participating in a summer educational program in Costa Rica
- Rental of a golf cart for transportation
for a student using a wheelchair on a large university campus in
Australia
- Tuition, housing, fees and books for a student
who has a visual impairment to study for a year in England
People with disabilities succeed
"Having international experiences on my resume was definitely
an asset in my job search. The work I`m doing now is for an
organization with offices all over the world, so they do look for
people who have that international experience."
"I put my international exchange experience on my resume and
it did spark questions in my job interview. I`m now a camp program
director and a quarter of my staff are international, so I`m
sure that my international experience really helped me to get the
job."
"I put my Mexico and Russia exchange experiences on my resume
and it worked - I got a job at an independent living center and
I actually work with Deaf people from different countries who are
living in the US."
"The international experience helped me to change my job. Now
I`m working for international NGOs."
"In my job, we`re serving more and more Japanese people
with disabilities. My international exchange experience helped me
to be more sensitive to other cultures."
"My year of study in England really put disability rights law
and policy issues into a global framework. Now I envision a career
that brings domestic and international law together. I see them
as inseparable now."
"I was fascinated to learn about how the government in Germany
addresses disability issues, and to compare that to what we do here
in the US. That comparison made me interested in policy. Now I`m
working with a policy-making organization that advises our state
government on disability issues."
Get the experience you need to get a job
It is important that youth and adults with disabilities recognize
the importance of international experience, and, when possible,
include it as part of education and employment preparation. The
National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) offers
free information and resources related to the numerous international
exchange options available to people with disabilities of all ages.
NCDE is managed by Mobility International USA and sponsored by the
United States Department of State.
Read
a Mobility International USA Success Story
International Exchange Flyer for Printing and Distributing
Microsoft Word Format
For more information contact:
Mobility International USA and
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange
PO Box 10767
Eugene, OR 97440
Telephone/TTY: (541) 343-1284
Fax: (541) 343-6812
E-mail: clearinghouse@miusa.org
www.miusa.org
Christa Bucks Camacho
Youth and Transition Coordinator
Office of Program Development and Research
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Blvd.
3656 Annex Building
Baltimore, MD 21235
Tel: 410 966-5147
Fax: 410 597-0825
E-mail: christa.bucks@ssa.gov
www.ssa.gov.work
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